Labor Secretary Tom Perez hailed Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton on Sunday even though she opposes the Pacific Rim trade deal that he has championed on behalf of President Obama.
Mr. Perez said the likely Democratic nominee will learn from past mistakes and hold other countries accountable in her trade arrangements, while presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump is all “blather” and no substance in his blistering criticism of free-trade pacts like the 1990s “NAFTA” agreement and the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Mr. Trump says these types of agreements slash American jobs and need to go.
“Donald Trump is a fraud,” Mr. Perez told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “He’s the outsourcer in chief.”
But Mr. Perez, who has been bandied as a possible vice presidential pick for Mrs. Clinton, is still in the awkward position of defending both the Pacific trade deal and a nominee who says she now opposes it.
Mrs. Clinton has flip-flopped on the Pacific trade question. She favored it as secretary of state but then sided with opponents of the deal as a presidential candidate, promising to fight to protect American jobs.
“This is not the first time in the history of the Democratic Party that there have been differences of opinion,” Mr. Perez said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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